Spring shade-roller



1N0 Model.)

- W. L. ORMSBY.

. Spring Shade Roller. No. 240,171. v Patented April 12,1881.

UNrrEn STATES PATENT Garter...

\VATERMAN L. ORMSBY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SPRING SHADE-ROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,171, dated April 12, 1881.

Application filed October 11, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WATERMAN L. ORMSBY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

Curtain-fixtures have been made in which the roller is revolved by a spring to wind up the curtain, and ratchets and pawls have been employed to hold the roller and prevent the same revolving except when the roller is allowed to acquire a sufficient momentum to throw the pawl out of action.

Mypresent invention relates to cam-faces that intervene between the roller and the axle in such a manner that the spring tends to keep the cam-faces together as well as to rotate the roller, and the cam faces present sufficient resistance to the rotation of the roller to prevent the spring revolving said roller and winding up the curtain when the parts are allowed to assume the position of rest; but when the cam-faces are separated by drawing upon the curtain, and then the roller is allowed to revolve and wind up the curtain, the momentum that the roller acquires before the camfaces reach the interlocking-point prevents the interlocking and insures a continuance of the revolution of the roller and the winding up of the curtain until the momentum is checked by limiting the motion of the curtain. I also make use of bracket-spikes having a pin end for receiving the ends of the roller-axis, and at one end of the axis there is a tube that, can be moved endwise upon the axis to vary its length and allow of the same being applied to supporting-brackets that are a greater or less distance apart.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partially in section, of the end portions of the curtain-roller. Figs. 2 and 2 represent the faces of the cams on opposite sides, and Fig. 3 represents the camfaces in a slightly-modified form and Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the cam -faces as they appear when separated. These figures are of an enlarged size.

The roller is either tubular or made of slats. I have represented the tube a containing the blocks 1) b to form aroller. The axis 0 passes through the blocks 1), and f is a helical spring around the axis and within the roller. It is connected at one end with the roller by being (No model.)

fastened to the short cylinder d, that runs through one of the blocks I). Said roller a may be of skeleton form, composed of slats secured to the blocks b I), if desired. The other end of the helical spring f is fastened to the head or short cylinder 6, that is upon the axle c, and hence the roller will be turned by the spring whenever the roller is free to revolve around the axle. It is to be understood that when in use the axle c is held rigidly and the roller revolves around it, and that the spring is wound up sufficiently to exert the force required in winding up the curtain.

iand 7a are the cam-faces, that serve to hold the curtain-roller from revolving as aforesaid. One of these faces, 1', revolves with the roller. The other face is stationary, and is supported by or upon the shaft or axis. The cam-faces are made with offsets or radial inclines, as shown at 2 2, one-half of each face being a plane that is raised above the other half-face, the cam offset or shoulder between one plane and the other being inclined in one direction at one side of the axis, and at the other side of the axis the shoulder is nearly parallel to the axis of the roller.

In the position of rest the cam-faces interlock and prevent the curtain-roller revolvin 1f the curtain is drawn down sufliciently to turn one cam-face and cause it to override the other, the highest and fiat faces of the cams will rest against each other, as shown by the dotted figure, and there will be a slight end movement of the cam-face endwise of the axis and against the spring. If, now, the curtain is liberated, the roller will be revolved rapidly and at such a speed as will prevent the end movement of the cam-faces; hence they will not interlock; but as soon as the movementis stopped and the roller allowed to turn slowly the cam-faces interlock and stop the further movement of the roller.

The cam-faces may be applied within the roller, as seen in Fig. 1, or the same may be at the end of the roller, as seen in Fig. 3, the operation being the same in both instances.

At the ends of the roller the axis is supported upon brackets. I prefer and use short spikes or nails 8, having vertical pins t at the ends, and these enter holes or slots at the ends of the axis as the said axis and curtain-roller are put up in place at the window.

At one end of the axis is a tube or sleeve, 'n, that can be slipped endwise upon the axis to lengthen or shorten the same and accommodate the distance between the pins t.

It will be evident that the spikes or nails 8 may be driven into the window-frame at right angles to the axis of the roller, parallel to the same or at an inclination.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the curtain-roller and its helical spring, of the cam-faces connected with the roller and axis respectively, and serving to hold the roller when at rest or allow the spring to revolve the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the curtain-roller and axis, of the sleeve 12, for the purposes and as set forth.

3. The combination, with the curtain-roller and its axis, of the spikes or nails 8 and vertical pins t, entering holes or notches at the end of the roller-axis, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the roller, spring, 

